“Our link between Perth and Singapore is currently not passing traffic,” an iiNet spokesman told Fairfax Media. “This traffic is taking an alternate path via Sydney to Hong Kong.

As a result, iiNet said customers may experience slower than expected download and upload speeds, latency and packet-loss to destinations in Asia.

“This may result in web pages taking longer to load, as well as impact to time-sensitive activities such as online gaming to servers in Asia.”

Low latency impacts real-time communications and response times including payment and sale transactions, programs like Skype and fast-reaction applications like video games.

Although providers who use SEA-ME-WE 3 — which has a maximum capacity of 480 gigabits per second — were sent a notification about the fault on Sunday, no timeframe has been given for a fix.

It’s not the first time the 39,000-kilometre cable has had a fault. When it was severed in January 2013 it took approximately four months to repair. This was due to delays in obtaining permits from Indonesian authorities.

The cable also suffered from a major fault in 2005 that affected approximately 10 million internet users and almost all communications going in and out of Pakistan.

It’s unclear as yet what caused the latest fault. An earthquake and a ship’s anchor are thought to have been the reason for past issues.